The MBA Student Voice

Since Graduation in June ...

Four years after enrolling at UCLA Anderson, and later UCLA School of Law, I graduated with a JD and an MBA. Immediately after graduation, I spent the summer studying for the CA bar examination. I took a brief break after that to visit Puerto Rico, before starting my new job as a regulatory consultant. Given my background and future goals, this job was a great fit - and my company is great. I've been with the company now for about six months. My projects vary, but generally consist of consulting clients on how to comply with securities laws, rules and regulations. A lot of my work is done onsite, at the client, so I travel very often. I just returned from New York last night and I'm off to San Fransicso on Monday. More updates to follow ....

ALMA Invites YOU to TAILGATE with us!

The Anderson Latino Management Association (ALMA) invites YOU to TAILGATE with us for the UCLA vs. Arizona State football game!  Come and re-connect with your fellow alumni and current Anderson students while we party at the Rose Bowl!  ALMA, the Anderson African American Alumni Association, the Latino Management Student Association, and the African American Students in Management will gather with their significant others, and family and friends as our Bruins take on Arizona State. Come and share in the fun!

When:  Saturday, November 5th, 2011.  Game time is still TBD, but the tailgate starts 4 hours before kickoff.  For more information or to RSVP, contact Mat Lopez (mathew.lopez@nbcuni.com).

GMAT Tips ...

Summer is when many prospective MBA students start gearing up to take the GMAT, so I am not surprised to be getting several questions on it. To those of you who are taking it soon, here is some general advice (geared toward Latino applicants, but applicable, I think, to anyone who is taking the exam at some point). Also, take a look at my prior posts for some great insight from our Admissions office.

ALMA to Welcome Class of 2011 to Alumni Network

 On May 25, 2011, The Anderson Latino Management Alumni (ALMA) will host its annual summer happy hour to welcome the Class of 2011 to the alumni network. The event will be held at 5:30 pm at Upper West in West Los Angeles. Last summer’s happy hour was a big success, and we are looking forward to an even larger turnout this year!

Riordan Gala: Celebrating Success

Last Saturday, the Riordan Programs hosted the 6th Annual Riordan Gala. Drawing over 400 guests and raising over $30,000 for scholarships, the event was a huge success. The Gala was held at the Beverly Hills Country Club and included wine tasting, a silent auction, and an awards ceremony. The honorees were Patrice Eitner, a Riordan Scholar and a Riordan Fellow, and Stephen Torres. Thank you Ms. Eitner and Mr. Torres for over 20 years of service!

Diversity Outreach – Graduate School Panel

 For the fourth consecutive year, the Latino Management Students Association (LMSA) is partnering with several graduate and undergraduate student groups to put together the annual “Graduate School Student Panel” (Thursday, April 14, 2011). The primary goal of the event is to increase the "pipeline" for Latino and African-American graduate school applicants by giving them greater exposure to graduate school, particularly business school and law school.

This year, on the graduate student end, we have panelists from LMSA, African-American Students in Management, and La Raza Law Students Association. Our undergraduate co-sponsors include the Latino Business Student Association and Future Business Leaders of America–Phi Beta Lambda. Linda Baldwin, Assistant Dean of Diversity Initiatives, will also be on-hand to answer questions for those attendees who are considering applying soon to business school.

For further details, please feel free to contact me.

ALMA and LMSA present “A Fireside Chat with Gil Vasquez & Chris Arranaga”

It was a great night of building networks and making connections as students, alumni, and other professionals came together for “A Fireside Chat with Gil Vasquez & Chris Arranaga.” Prior to the chat, which took place on March 10, 2011 at UCLA Anderson, participants struck up conversations and became acquainted as they enjoyed appetizers and beverages provided by E&J Gallo Winery. Special guests included members of ALPFA, NSHMBA, and the Riordan Programs.

The evening officially began with a call to order and an introduction to our moderator and UCLA Anderson assistant professor of finance, Marc Martos-Vila. Professor Martos-Vila then introduced our panelists, Gil Vasquez and Chris Arranaga.  Mr. Vasquez is the Managing Partner of Vasquez & Co. LLP, which focuses on audit, accounting, tax, and consulting services.  Mr. Arranaga is the founder of Gorilla Marketing, which focuses on promotional advertising. Professor Martos-Vila posed several questions to Mr. Vasquez and Mr. Arranaga, and their answers showed humor, great insights, and many lessons learned. The audience members asked their own questions during the Q&A session following the moderated chat.

It was an enjoyable night to gather as friends and fellow professionals, and it was a great opportunity to learn from two successful Latino businessmen. Both ALMA and LMSA will continue to work together to organize similar events in the future.  Stay tuned!

3rd Annual Los Angeles Diversity Mixer

This year, ALMA was proud to collaborate with the Riordan Programs Alumni Association, NSHMBA, and ALPFA on the third annual Los Angeles Diversity Mixer (LADM).  The event attracted over 300 guests and provided an excellent venue for diversity recruiting and networking.  ALMA looks forward to continuing its partnership with these groups and forming closer ties with other, diverse professional and community organizations.

First Annual Anderson Latino Management Alumni (ALMA) Holiday Party!

The Anderson Latino Management Alumni (ALMA) had a great 2010!  Over the course of the past year, Anderson alumni and current students toasted away the summer at our August Happy Hour in West Los Angeles, reconnected with old friends at our first ALMA UCLA football tailgate complete with our very own Taco Stand, and now will be hosting a Holiday party as our final event of the year.  

As a current student, I've found the Anderson alum network to be invaluable and ALMA has been a great way for me to stay connected!  Now that Anderson finals are over, I'm looking forward to waffles and ice cream at the holiday party this Sunday.  If you are interested in joining feel free to get more more information or sign-up via the link below!  See you there!

http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/alum-event-details.xml?eid=2651

 

 

ALMA Welcomes the Class of 2010 to the Alumni Network!

The Anderson Latino Management Alumni (ALMA) hosted a summer happy hour to welcome the Class of 2010 to the alumni network.  The event, which was held at Upper West in West Los Angeles, provided a great opportunity for recent graduates to connect with other members of the Latino professional community in Los Angeles and for former business school classmates to reconnect.  Also in attendance was Linda Baldwin, who continues to support UCLA Anderson’s diversity efforts.

I enjoyed seeing my former classmates again, after they graduated. (I still have one more year to go!).  It was also great to see that so many members of the UCLA Anderson Latino community continue to remain involved with ALMA and the Latino Management Student Association (LMSA) as they progress through their careers.